If your dog gets aggressive or agitated around strangers, don’t be alarmed. It’s quite normal. But what you definitely need to keep in mind is training your dog to not attack strangers. Now, there are different kind of strangers and you need to make sure that you train them the right way. If your dog is going to be around people a lot or you’re going for walks and visiting the parks or spending the day with someone else, your dog needs to already be comfortable with these situations and settings so that they don’t lash out. It’s important to ease your dog into small activities that include people and going out and about.
Human Interaction
Introduce your dog and your family members to each other regularly. Keep in mind all the things your dog is comfortable with and do the same with your family, because it’s important that they don’t do the wrong thing and agitate your dog. The more time they spend with people they’re going to see regularly, the more calm and relaxed your dog will be around them. Obviously there will be some people that you yourself are not comfortable with and very often, dogs can pick up on these emotions and sometimes act on it.
Interaction With Other Dogs
When going to the park, you need to keep in mind that there will be lots of dogs there as well that will need to be introduced to your dog. It needs to happen slowly and carefully, they need to interact at their own pace and figure out how things are going to work for them. But what is very important is that your dog interacts with other dogs from a young age. After a certain point, their socializing skills aren’t as strong and they don’t respond well to new dogs. In a situation like that, they can get aggressive as well.
Using A Leash
A leash is not just to keep your dog from running away when you’re out and about, it’s also for you to be able to control them when they encounter other dogs or people they don’t particularly like. There’s nothing really specific that triggers it for your dog, but using the leash and keeping it at a comfortable length is very important. The leash also helps you control how much space there is between you and your dog, as well as your dog and strangers. But a good combination is using the leash as well as teaching your dog how to respond to certain words and phrases that you use.
Pick Your Locations Properly
It’s not always that you can predict what the walking route is going to be like, but try and pick a comfortable location. Try and avoid places where cyclists or runners frequent, because they can startle your dog and agitate them as well. But in a situation where there are runners, make sure your dog is on a leash and kept close to you at all times.
